The Veil
by TheBlackAshwinder
Summary: Hermione fell through time and became Lady Black to prevent Voldemort's rise. Dancing dangerous lines she finds herself caught up in a timeline that will never fully be her own. HG/SB JP/LE RB/OC
1. The Boy Who Died

**Hermione: May, 2nd 1998 The Battle of Hogwarts**

Harry was dead. Voldemort was standing over his mangled corpse. Bellatrix's maniacal laughter rang in her ears. In that moment, Hermione realized three things.

One: Dumbledore had been _wrong_. Some fairy tales were just fairy tales. The Hallows hadn't made Harry the master of anything. He died, just as mortal as any man. There was a sickening crack as Voldemort gleefully kicked the corpse of the Boy Who Lived.

Two: The war was over. The Centaurs weren't coming. _No one_ was coming to save them. They were outnumbered and overpowered. They had lost.

Three: She would go down wasn't going to leave this battle alive. The thought should've scared her or sadden her. It didn't.

What Hermione _didn't_ realize in that moment was that her extendable bag had begun to glow as the powerful charm Dumbledore left on his copy of the Tales or Beedle and the Bard activated, turning the ancient book into a portkey.

In the next moment, as chaos broke out in the entrance to great hall, as some fled and some resolved to fight and die rather than live in a world where Voldemort ruled, Hermione was distracted by the familiar tug of a portkey at her navel.

And then suddenly, it was quiet. She stood in an empty marble chamber; she stood in front of the Veil.

The room was completely still. She had been here before. She was bleeding then too. The veil rippled in a nonexistent breeze. The white marble was cool as Hermione sank to her knees. Her mind swirled at the sudden lack of spell light and crashing noise.

It was quiet here. They had lost. Harry was dead. Voldemort had had taken Hogwarts. The light had lost. The war was over. This is where Sirius died she thought numbly.

Hermione thought of the other muggleborns, half bloods, half breeds, blood traitors... of the fate awaiting them in the darkness of Voldemort's unopposed reign. She thought of the powerful witches and wizards that would die tonight. Die fighting a lost war for freedom. She looked at her hands. They were covered in blood. So much blood. Her own, George Weasley's, Lestrange's, Remus's...

Sirius had died here.

 _Flashback_

 _Bellatrix let out a gleefull laugh and Hermione felt something inside her snap. She spun around and watched Sirius fall through the veil. She crumpled to the ground, narrowingly avoiding most of the vicious purple curse sent by Dolhov. In the moments as she faded out of conciousness, left for dead by the death eater, she realized that no matter how much she had tried to deny it, no matter how much she had tried to convince herself she had feelings for Ron, there had been something more to her and Sirius's illicit relationship that summer. Too painfull to contemplate, she pushed all of the feelings she had for Harry's godfather deep into her subconcious_

 _End Flashback_

Her mind replayed Voldemort's smile as he stood over Harry's body and Bella's maniacal laugh as they reveled in it. In the pain and the death. In the darkness and the destruction.

They had been losing for so long. They had lost so much. They had lost so many. It had darkened even the purest of the light.

This was war. Hermione thought of the essays she wrote on the Goblin Wars, the defeat of Grindewald. She thought of the atomic bomb that ended muggle WWII. 'So _this_ is what the end of war looks like,' she thought numbly.

Death. Torture. Pain. _Hopelessness_.

Harry was, had always been, their last hope. So stupid, so _imesurably_ stupid, to entrust everything to one child. She supposed Harry had never really been a child. She wondered if Voldemort would ever be defeated. She hoped...

Mental foggyness blurred her thoughts as she calmly contemplated the red blood pooling beneath her on the white marble.

The Veil looked like liquid mercury. There were voices coming from it. There was silence in the room, but she could _hear_ them. They were calling her. She held her abdomen with one hand and crawled on her hands and knees to the edge of the curtain.

She could hear them, Sirius and Harry... she could hear them calling to her...

They had lost. Harry was dead. There was nothing left she could do for any of them. She followed in Sirius's footsteps.

She reached for the peaceful oblivion of the veil.


	2. Falling

_Albus sighed as he held his copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The old wizard cast a complicated charm on the book that drained him of the majority of his already limited magical core. The charm would turn the book into a portkey if... if the unthinkable happened. He smiled sadly at the darkness of the curse consuming his magic and life. He took out his will and bequathed the book to one Hermione Jean Granger._

 **Hermione: May, 2nd 1998 The Department of Mysteries**

The veil had looked so tranquil. It wasn't. She was falling. She was being torn in a thousand directions. There was color, wind, screaming, singing and crying. Hermione felt every emotion, every sensation, every pain she had ever felt all at once. She couldn't remember where she was. She was everywhere and everything. She didn't remember the pain of the war, she didn't remember who she was. Then there was sound and light, a storm of color... nothing and everything... and then it was quiet.

 **Hermione: May, 2nd 1976: The Department of Mysteries**

She was lying on smooth stone. There was whispering in the silence. It was peaceful here. There was a flash of golden light. There was a phoenix singing and an old man who knelt and wove his wand above her body. A woman knelt and muttered incantations and joined the old man in waving her wand. There was confusion in their voices. The old man pulled at her sleeve. She was being lifted off the stone. She tried to be worried that she didn't know who they were, or where they were taking her, but couldn't find it in herself to care. She slipped into unconsciousness.

 **Dumbledore: May, 2nd 1976: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy**

Dumbledore sat alone in his office. Around him were sketches and calculations, names and books bound in leather that looked older than the wizard himself.

There was a war coming. Tom Riddle was calling himself Lord Voldemort and building an army. Dumbledore sat alone with a dark sense of deja vue. Alone with all of his past mistakes. Alone with memories of all the lives lost when Grindewald sought the power escape death.

The Headmaster's thoughts were drowned out by Fawkes's urgent trill as the phoenix flew in from the window and landed on Dumbledore's shoulder. He raised his hands above his head and disappeared in a burst of flames.

The chill of the room was the first thing he noticed as the flames from Fawkes's side along apparition dispelled. He pulled his purple and orange dressing gown tighter around himself. He marveled at the large stone archway, the magic coming from it was fading quickly. For a moment he thought he heard Arrianna's voice... Dumbledore followed Fawkes as the bird flew from his shoulder to the child's body lying on the cold marble of the chamber. Dumbledore did not recognize her as a student of Hogwarts. The child's body had sparks of an unfamiliar magic running over it like lightening, a magic the likes of which Dumbledore had only ever seen once before. There was a startling amount of blood pooling beneath her small form.

Dumbledore knelt before the child. He temporarily stopped the bleeding and begun casting diagnostic spells. Fawkes infirmary to summon Poppy. Dumbledore cast a spell to visualize the child's magic and frowned when rather than a glowing sphere centered around her core there were rainbow tendrils of magic running across every inch of her body.

The child's magic was dangerously depleted and entirely delocalized. The Headmaster had never seen anything like this.

Fawkes reappeared with Poppy and flew to the child, singing a comforting lullaby. Poppy knelt beside Dumbledore and took over the diagnostic spells dumbledore had been casting. The child was magically exhausted and drifting in and out of consciousness. She had suffered from numerous cutting curses and had scars that belonged on an auror's body, not a 15 year old child. There was nerve damage indicitave of prolonged torture under the cruciatus. They were horrified.

Dumbledore hoped Tom had not begun recruiting children so young, but he had long ago lost hope that Riddle had any sense of humanity. He lifted her left sleeve and didn't notice poppies accusing glance because he had closed his eyes when he saw her arm. Where the dark mark would've been were the scars of a cursed blade. Scars that spelled the word Mudblood.

When Poppy decided the child was no longer in danger of dying on the stone in front of them, they levitated her small form and walked to the ministry Floo. Albus was thankfull there were no unspeakables at this hour.

While Poppy cleaned layers of blood and dirt off the child Dumbledore set about determining the identity of this mysterious child. A family charm identified her to be Hermione Granger, daughter of muggles. Because the charm used magical signature similarities to determine familial relationships it was unable to determine her parentage.

He would need to contact Professor Vector in the morning. He prayed to Circe that the child's knowledge would add light and not catastrophe to the web of murky destruction that was Vectors arithmancy projections. Merlin knows they could use some light in this darkness.

 **Hermione: May, 8th 1976 Hogwarts Infirmary**

When she awoke she was in a bed. There were hushed voices arguing and she felt her hair being tucked behind her ear. Everything hurt. It hurt to think. She lapsed back into unconsciousness.

 **Septima Vector: May, 8th 1976** **Hogwarts Infirmary**

"It's not the right time Headmaster," Septima struggled to keep her voice to a whisper.

The Headmaster was unfazed, "There are so many lives that her knowledge could save, we could've prevented an innocent child's death tonight with the knowledge she possess."

Septima voice was cold and laced with pain so sharp it could cut glass "At what cost Headmaster? You forget yourself."

The arithmancer paused, schooling her face and emotions, " I have spent my entire life learning the intricate magics of arithmancy and time travel. I have lost more than you will ever understand. So trust me when I tell you," her voice lowered to a deadly whisper, "Her secrets are not yours to bear."

Septima sighed and brushed a lock of frizzy hair out of the sleeping child's face. "There will come a time, headmaster, when she will join your fight. I am grateful for your protection but do not overestimate my loyalty. If you ignore my warnings I will take the child, Black's memories, all of the time turners and destroy the veil. You will never see or hear of any again."

The Headmaster looked at the witch in front of him with a cold challenge in his twinkle free eyes, "You knowingly condemn innocents to suffer in the hands of Voldemort. Their blood is on your hands."

Septima wasn't looking at the headmaster when she replied, "If you truly comprehended the dangers of her knowledge you would understand that I would do _far worse_ to prevent the inevitable consequences that would follow if you used her knowledge precipitantly to save those you deemed worthy. _You_ do not have the favour of time headmaster, but she might."

 **Hermione: June, 14th 1976 Hogwarts Infirmary**

She felt as if she had been sleeping for a very very long time. It smelled like a hospital. It felt like a hospital. She wondered if she hit her head and that was why she didn't couldn't remember her name. It was nice here. It was warm and she could feel sunlight on her cheek. She decided she would just stay here and not remember for a while longer.

 **Hermione: June, 23rd 1976 Hogwarts Infirmary**

She woke up screaming. She was at Hogwarts? She was in the infirmary. There were tears on her face. Her eyes were itchy and raw. A woman came running in, waving her wand and muttering spells as she and undid the bandages. There was a red and puffy gash that looked as if it was struggling, and failing, to heal itself. The woman stopped waving her wand and replaced the bandages. She was talking.

"Mrs. Granger I need you to focus on me."

"Hermione I need you to look at me"

So her name was Hermione. That felt right. She was tired. The bed was warm and soft and she wanted to slip away again. Instead she looked at the woman in front of her.

"Can you understand me?"

Hermione tried to tell her mouth to form the words she wanted to say. It wouldn't. She nodded her head. Her head felt heavy.

"Do you know where you are?"

Her mouth formed the word, "Hogwarts" before her brain processed it. Her voice was high and raspy as if it hadn't been used for a long time.

"Do you know how you got here?"

She hesitated and quietly replied, "No."

"Well, I am-"

 _An image of an older version of this woman surrounded by blood and broken bodies flashed before Hermione's eyes._

She interupted, "-Madame Pomfrey."

The mediwitch looked flustered.

"I... I'm going to call the Headmaster."

Hermione didn't answer. The healer turned to the fireplace and with calm urgency spoke, "Albus she is awake. You should come quickly."

There was a flash of light and then there was pheonix nestled on her shoulder singing her a soft lullaby and an old man looking down at her over his spectacles.

" my name is Albus Dumbledore, do you know who I am as well?" He asked with a pleased curiosity.

 _Hermione saw the old man laying in a marble casket as it was lowered into the ground._

Hermione's face twisted into a grimace, "Albus Wulfric percival Dumbledore. Headmaster of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. Leader of the Order of the Phoenix. Owner of the Elder wand. Defeater of Grindelwald.."

 **Dumbledore:**

Dumbledore's eyes stopped sparkling behind his half moon spectacles. She should not know those things. He had been unsure before... but he _needed_ to know... he must protect the light. Failure was not an option. He needed to see... to know...he looked into her mind and was assaulted by a torrent of colors and sounds and pain- he withdrew himself from her mind and stumbled backwards.

He regained his composure and was calm for a minute before he looked up at her with a sad smile and spoke, "Miss. Granger do you know how you got here?"

"No."

"Do you remember where you came from?"

She came from Blood. Destruction. Death. Pain. War.

Her eyes were pained and hollow but she did not respond.

Dumbledore had seen the storm of color before. He had seen it two years ago when on a dark night where he had broken into Septima office and looked at the future in an older Sirius black's memories. He saw it when he tried to piece together Sirius's nightmares. Dumbledore knew better than to mess with time but there were nights when there seemed no way out, no hope, nights where albus needed to see, needed to know... something... anything... that would let him put an end to all the suffering. Another family had been murdered last night. The image of the six year old child with her hands covered in the blood of her brother as she tried to keep him from bleeding out from a curse he knew his own spy created... That would haunt the professor for all of his days.

Dumbledore pushed the darkness out of his mind and focused on the child in front of him.

"You seem to have been in a battle? Can you tell me anything about how you got these wounds?"

She didn't respond and Dumbledore sighed.

"I both hope and fear that your memories will return to you with haste my child"

Dumbledore nodded to Poppy and the mediwitch poured a heavy dose of dreamless sleep down Hermione's throat.

 **Hermione: June, 28th 1976 Hogwarts Infirmary**

Hermione was awoken by the headmaster's voice "Sirius this is important, I need you to tell me if you've recognize this girl."

She lay still.

Silence.

"I know about your nightmares Sirius. They aren't... they..." -the Headmaster took a breath- "I need you to tell me if you recognize this girl."

There was a long pause and then another voice, low and broken, "yes".

The headmaster hesitated, "Does she..."

The voice was cold and distant, "I don't remember," there were angry footsteps and the sound of a door slamming.

And then it was quiet again. Hermione's shed a single tear. The voice... There was only one person in the whole world whose voice that could've been. Even 15 years in the past he sounded exactly the same... A memory she had worked so hard to suppress came crashing to the forefront of her mind.  
 _It had been was the night before the full moon and she had been curled up in the library with a hot chocolate hiding from everyone. Everyone tried so hard to pretend the wasn't a war going on. Molly especially. The matronly witch would try to keep the 'children' occupied by having them clean every-god-forsaken-corner of the place. She was tired of the hushed conversations and the pitying looks. The Weaslys were kind enough but she was tired of always intruding in a family she wasn't a part of in a world she would never truly belong in._

 _Sirius had been sitting in the other corner with a pile of Fred and George's latest creations, running some sort of test on them. Sirius, while a little off since Azkaban, was still a brilliant Wizard and it was a waste to have him running quality control tests when he could be..._

 _She had a brilliant idea, "Sirius do you think you could extened the mauraders map?"_

 _Sirius chuckled condescendingly, "Is the prefect looking to cause some mischef?"_

 _"No. I'm rather busy trying to keep my friends, your godson, alive." Hermione spat. It was a low blow, and she knew it. She knew that was the one thing she could say that would hurt Sirius more than anything else. The man lived for Harry, he would do anything for his godson and being trapped in here, unable to protect him... Well he wasn't handling it much better than she was. She was so tired of pretending there wasn't a war going on. People were dying, Voldemort was growing more powerfull while they sat here and cleaned._

 _"Stand up Hermione." Sirius said without a hint of emotion._

 _"Why?"Hermione said, supressing the shudder of fear caused by the cold emptyness in the powerful wizard's eyes._

 _"That's what you want right? A fight? A dummy to practice all of the grey curses you've been studying?" Sirius smirked, "I live here Hermione, I know this library better than the back of my hand. I know excatly what you've been reading," He snatched the book out of Hermione's lap and let the cover fall, flipping through the pages mockingly, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I wonder if the great Albus Dumbledore would allow you to continue your friendship with Harry if he knew how far you have fallen."_

 _"How dare you!" Hermione seethed, "We aren't mindless pawns, our friendship isn't some strategic move! Harry is my-"_

 _"And that's where you are so very wrong darling," Sirius stormy gray eyes went black, "because Harry does not belong to anyone but Dumbledore. He may be the not be a pawn in our little game of light and dark but we. are. all. pieces."_

 _Hermione stood then, magic cursing through her veins, "What do you want Sirius?"_

 _"I want this god damn war to be over. I want my godson to be able to live."_

 _Hermione responded by casting wards to keep any spell fire from harming the priceless tomes they were surronded in._

 _"What are you doing?" Sirius whispered angrily._

 _"You want this war to be over? Stop letting the order treat Harry, Ron and I like children. Teach us how to end it."_

 _"Teach you how to defeat a man unmatched by Dumbledore himself?" Sirius scoffed._

 _"Yes." Hermione said with fire dancing in her eyes as she cast the last warding spell, "Reducto!"_

 _Sirius errected a sheild reflexivley and Hermione's curse bounced off harmlesly._

 _"Deprimo! Densaugeo! Expulso!" Hermione cried throwing all of her angry magic into the curses._

 _Sirius dodged them all, and then he disapeared. Hermione growled in frustration and whispered "Aguamenti," and spun around, trying to locate the disillusioned wizard by where the water was deflected from. Suddenley a sheild charm caused the water from the spell to come back at Hermione full force, knocking the wind out of her and pushing her backward._

 _She stumbled and she felt the tip of a wand press into her neck._

 _"Checkmate."_

 _Hermione's heart beat a little faster. She paused and then tried to duck below Sirius's wand but before she could move his arm wrapped around her shoulders bringing her back flush against his chest._

 _There was a shock of magic that rippled between them._

 _Sirius dropped his wand and_ _pulled back like he had been hit by lighting, "What the Hell was that?" He whispered._

 **Sirius: June, 28th 1976 Hogwarts**

Sirius slammed the door to the infirmary, leaned against the stone wall and sank to the floor. Images of the girl lying in the infirmary, healthy and standing by a hippogriff, his mother calling her terrible names, her in the shrieking shack, adult death eaters throwing curses at her in a marble room. She was important... she had.. The dreams melted further into his unconsciousness the harder he tried to pull the broken images of the girl to the front of his mind...

She wasn't real. She couldn't be real. There was no way she could've been in those places. She was a figment of his imagination.

If she was real that meant... No. The nightmares were nightmares. Nothing more than hopes and fears woven together in his subconscious. He must have seen her in Diagon Alley years ago and created these impossible fantasies. Why was she here? Why was she in a coma? Why did she _feel_ important...

Sirius knew how exactly how addictive dreamless sleep potion was. And he knew exactly how many nights he passed since he had been able to sleep without it. Too fucking many. Tonight though he couldn't quite find it in himself to care. He was damned if he was going to let the hauntingly beautiful girl lying helpless in the infirmary into nightmares tonight.

With steely determination and a blank mind Sirius stalked back the fifth year dorm and nicked james' invisibility cloak from his trunk, threw it over himself and slipped back out of gryffindor tower. Sirius crept down to the dungeons, transformed into padfoot, and slipped through the wards of Professor Slughorn's private potion storeroom. He regained his human form to pour one large dose of dreamless sleep in a cup he transfigured from a piece of blank parchment left on one of the benches. He slipped back out of the wards as easily as he came.

Sirius made it most of the way back to gryffindor tower before he lost the control and felt the tell tale sparks of magic run up and down his body as he lost control of his emotions. He was too fucking old for this. There was a war brewing and he was fucking incapacitated by a girl from his nightmares. If he couldn't face some girl in lying in the infirmary how the _hell_ was he to supposed stand against his psychotic family in the war that Sirius knew was coming.

The suit of armour to Sirius's left shattered into a million pieces and he wanted to scream but instead he pulled out his wand and began to reassemble the pieces of armour. Despite Sirius's considerable talent for transfiguration it took almost five minutes to piece the suit back together. As an afterthought Sirius turned the armour neon pink, replaced the sigil on the shield with words "Grease Police", transfigured a parchment with a picture of snivellus' face under the word "WANTED". He summoned a bottle of shampoo and placed both in the suit of armour's hand. He smiled with cold eyes at his work and layered a sticking, stasis and impervious charm on top of the suit. Dumbledore could easily undo it but filch wouldn't be able to touch it. Sirius walked the rest of the way up to gryffindor tower under the cloak, crawled into his bed, drew the curtains, drank the stolen potion and slipped into a blissfully nightmare-free sleep.


	3. What Comes After

AN: SO Sorry for the mishap! I kept posting the same chapter because I had messed up my titles. Thank you all for your paitence and letting me know!

Hermione awoke to the sound of birds chirping. She hazily remembered being in the infirmary and... and the Headmaster was alive! And Sirius too- she had to find Sirius! He was alive! Harry would be overjoyed!

Oh. Sirius wasn't alive. _She_ must be dead. And Harry would be too.

She opened her eyes and took her surroundings in. This was most certanitly not the infirmary. The room was small and circular, there was a desk and a large bookshelf that covered most of the curved wall . Hermione thought if she was going to be here for eternity she was certaintly going to need more books. A small fireplace burned happily in the corner. The room was decorated in sea foam green with light wood accents. It was a lovely room. It smelled like the ocean. She stretched her neck to look out the window and was greeted with a view of the Hogwarts grounds, the lake and the forbidden forest and hagrid's hut. She must be in one of the castle's turrets what with the room up so high and the curved walls. She smiled, Hogwarts was her home, whatever this afterlife was, it couldn't be that bad if she was here. But her side hurt.

She tried to sit up but her muscles protested. Things weren't supposed to hurt in the afterlife she thought with a touch of bitterness.

She wanted to find Harry and Fred and all of her friends that had died. A happy smile graced her face as she thought of reuniting with everyone she had lost. Dobby! The brave elf would know where Harry was! She called for dobby unsure if he could still respond in this ...dimension? Reality?

An elf appeared but it wasn't Dobby.

"Miss is supposed to be sleeping! I is Wibbly, I be taking care of miss!"

"Umm.. Thank you? Uh.. do _you_ know where Harry is? Or where Dobby is?"

The little elf looked confused, "Wibbly does not know who miss speaks of but Mistress Septima will be here soon to talk to miss."

Septima? As in Professor Vector? Hermione was confused. She wanted to talk to _Harry._ Not her arithmancy professor? Hermione didn't even know the professor had died.

The little elf handed Hermione a note from the bedside table before dissapearing again with a pop.

 _Hermione,_

 _I am sure you will have many questions when you wake up. You are currently in the guest room of my quarters at Hogwarts. You have been in a magically induced coma for some weeks now and your muscles will be weak due to your injuries. Try not to strain yourself. The red potion on the bedside table will help. Press your finger to the mark at the bottom of this letter and I will be alerted that you are awake. We have much to discuss._

 _-Septima Vector_

She did as the letter said and pressed her finger to the seal at the bottom of the letter and drank the red potion which tasted, suprisingly, like cherries.

It was strange that potions worked here. Why would they have to put her in a coma if she was already dead? The headmaster had been curious about how she got here. She wondered if he was trying to help the living from the afterlife. What a nice thought. She wanted to help too. She should find him and tell him they had lost. He would know how to fix it.

Hermione decided she rather liked being dead. There were books and she was going to see all of her friends again. _And_ no one was trying to kill her here.

She flipped over onto her stomach and watched the students sitting outside on the grounds. How sad that so many of them had died. But they were happy, not in pain, and at Hogwarts, so Hermione supposedit was okay.

Professor Vector was teaching her seventh year arithmancy class when she felt the quill she had charmed to buzz when Hermione awoke do just that. She almost stumbled in suprise but caught herself. There were twenty more minutes of her class but the time traveler was far more important.

"I would like four separate equations on one inanimate object by next class. Class dismissed." She ignored the astonishment on her students faces at her abrupt dismisal. She patiently waited until the last student had filed out of her classroom and only then revealed the warded door in the corner of the room. She opened the door to her office and saw Hermione in her guest quarters laying stomach down on the bed looking out the window at the student's below. Septima knew they were too high to recognize faces.

" , how are you feeling?"

The girl flipped back over gingerly and sat up slowly "Quite sore actually. I didn't know you had died too, what happened?" Hermione asked, her voice light and free of any burden.

Septima was taken aback. She had expected so many different possible reactions when the girl woke up- this was not one of them. Septima mentally kicked herslef, if the girl had fallen through the veil without knowing the true nature of the Veil... _of course,_ she would think she was dead. Not to mention the state she was in when she arrived at the infirmary, it had been touch and go for quite a while. She looked so peaceful now. Septima almost _regretted_ having to tell the child she was alive.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Hermione's worried voice, "I'm sorry, was that rude? I know it's rude to ask _ghosts_ how they died but I thought because we ... we're here, and not ghosts, it meant it was okay that we died... well I suppose 'okay' isn't the right word... I mean, I can see how that would be rude and I certainly didn't mean to offend you if-"

Septima interrupted sharply, "Hermione you aren't dead."

Septima watched a variety of emotions fly through the child's face, confusion, fear, sadness, anger, pain, loss...

"I'm not dead." It was neither a question or a statement.

"No you aren't."

"Is Harry dead?"

"I don't know who that is."

"Is Voldemort alive?"

Septima did not flinch at the name nor hesitate but her face did twist into a grimace, "Yes."

Hermione's eyes grew cold. Septima decided in that moment she was going to tell her the truth and _pray to Merlin_ she had more sense than the Headmaster . If she didn't .. well then Septima would obliviate her and that would be... unpleasant.

"It appears you have traveled many years back in time."

Hermione was silent as she processed that statement. Septima saw the moment it clicked. The girl was a quick learner. That was good.

"The date?"

"July 29th 1976"

Septima watched carefully as the girl absorbed the information.

"I'm not sure how much I should tell you..."

Wonderful. The girl at least vaugley understood the consequences of time travel. Septima let her approval show in her expression, "You should tell me as little as you can. I saw Madame Pomfrey's medical report. I know that you have been through... a lot. I am going to answer as many of your questions as I can and then we are going to discuss the options. There are some things that I do need to know, and I ask that you trust me in that they will cause minimal damage to the possible futures."

Hermione's expression was carefully guarded but she inclined her head to indicate her understanding.

"From your reactions to the Headmaster and Poppy I am going to assume you went to Hogwarts, or at least are familiar with the school, and you know who Voldemort is, so that simplifies matters. Do you know arithmancy?"

Hermione's lips quirked into a small smile, "I understand the very basics but my education was... interrupted."

"Do you understand the consequences of time travel?"

Hermione paused, "I think that is a challenging question Professor. It would depend greatly on the witch or wizard, the amount of time traveled, their desire to change the future... I could continue?"

This girl was definitely not as young as she looked. Septima smiled, "Fair. Do you understand the _potential catastrophes_ that would result in you trying to change the future without arithmatic evaluation?"

Hermione smiled confidently and nodded her head.

This girl clearly had far more of an education in arithmancy and time travel than a most of her advanced hogwarts students. She spoke, not only like someone much older, but like someone who had actually traveled time before. What septima would give to examine her memories...

Septima realized she was coming very close to letting her curiosity get the best of her. She decided she had asked enough questions. She explained to the young displaced witch that they had run tests on her core, or lack thereoff. She explained how they weren't sure her magic was going to return or if she would ever be able to cast spells again.

Hermione was eerily calm.

"Over the past month I have been incorporating your equation into my models in variety of ways with rather extreme variations in success," Septima said with a frustrated half smile.

"I think... I think that while you have the potential to do serious damage to our timeline your impact will, more than likely, prevent a lot of ... darkness," She continued, "However there are still somethings I am working on and it would be helpfull if any significant changes to the timeline could wait until after my calculations can be affirmed."

When Hermione remained silent Septima decided to give the girl some space, "I am going to be in my office grading. I'm sure this must be a rather large adjustment. I will be more than happy to answer any questions you have."

Hermione nodded her acknowledgment and Septima left her alone with her thoughts.

Her mind was spinning at a million miles an hour in a million directions. She was alive. She lost her magic, or well ...delocalized it. But Harry _hadn't_ died at the hands of Voldemort. Yet, anyway. The Headmaster was alive and Hogwarts was unbreached by death eaters. Poppy must have healed her wounds, she examined the new lines of scar tissue marrying her abdomen and traced them down her hip to where it ended on her thigh. She was surprised she had survived whatever variation of the cutting curse had caused that. And then there were fuzzy recollections of the headmaster and Professor Vector arguing... the Headmaster wanted to use her memories despite Professor Vector's warnings?

And then there was Sirius. She couldn't help but remember an older Sirius. They had.. grown close... over the summer she spent at grimmuald place. She wouldnt've been able to keep Harry and Ron alive as long as she did if it wasn't for the wards and curses Sirius had taught her. She had meant to tell Harry about them... but then Sirius had died and left her alone to protect Harry. Kind, loyal, brave, selfless Harry. Sirius would've never forgiven her for what she let Harry do.

Flashback:

 _It was the night before the full moon and she had been curled up in the library with a hot chocolate and a book on dark magic. She told herself she was doing research but really she was hiding from the Weaslys. Everyone tried so hard to pretend the wasn't a war going on. Molly especially. The matronly witch would try to keep the 'children' occupied by having them clean every-god-forsaken-corner of the place. She was tired of the hushed conversations and the pitying looks. The Weaslys were kind enough but she was tired of always intruding in a family she wasn't a part of in a world she would never truly belong in._

 _Sirius had been sitting in the other corner with a pile of Fred and George's latest creations, running some sort of test on them. Sirius, while a little off since Azkaban, was still a brilliant Wizard and it was a waste to have him running quality control tests when he could be..._

 _She had a brilliant idea, "Sirius do you think you could extened the mauraders map?"_

 _Sirius chuckled condescendingly, "Is the prefect looking to cause some mischef?"_

 _"No. I'm rather busy trying to keep my friends, your godson, alive." Hermione spat. It was a low blow, and she knew it. She knew that was the one thing she could say that would hurt Sirius more than anything else. The man lived for Harry, he would do anything for his godson and being trapped in here, unable to protect him... Well he wasn't handling it much better than she was. She was so tired of pretending there wasn't a war going on. People were dying, Voldemort was growing more powerfull while they sat here and cleaned._

 _"Stand up Hermione." Sirius said without a hint of emotion._

 _"Why?"Hermione said, supressing the shudder of fear caused by the cold emptyness in the powerful wizard's eyes._

 _"That's what you want right? A fight? A dummy to practice all of the grey curses you've been studying?" Sirius smirked, "I live here Hermione, I know this library better than the back of my hand. I know excatly what you've been reading," He snatched the book out of Hermione's lap and let the cover fall, flipping through the pages mockingly, "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I wonder if the great Albus Dumbledore would allow you to continue your friendship with Harry if he knew how far you have fallen."_

 _"How dare you!" Hermione seethed, "We aren't mindless pawns, our friendship isn't some strategic move! Harry is my-"_

 _"And that's where you are so very wrong darling," Sirius stormy gray eyes went black, "because Harry does not belong to anyone but Dumbledore. He may be the not be a pawn in our little game of light and dark but we. are. all. pieces."_

 _Hermione stood then, magic cursing through her veins, "What do you want Sirius?"_

 _"I want this god damn war to be over. I want my godson to be able to live."_

 _Hermione responded by casting wards to keep any spell fire from harming the priceless tomes they were surronded in._

 _"What are you doing?" Sirius whispered angrily._

 _"You want this war to be over? Stop letting the order treat Harry, Ron and I like children. Teach us how to end it."_

 _"Teach you how to defeat a man unmatched by Dumbledore himself?" Sirius scoffed._

 _"Yes." Hermione said with fire dancing in her eyes as she cast the last warding spell, "Reducto!"_

 _Sirius errected a sheild reflexivley and Hermione's curse bounced off harmlesly._

 _"Deprimo! Densaugeo! Expulso!" Hermione cried throwing all of her angry magic into the curses._

 _Sirius dodged them all, and then he disapeared. Hermione growled in frustration and whispered "Aguamenti," and spun around, trying to locate the disillusioned wizard by where the water was deflected from. Suddenley a sheild charm caused the water from the spell to come back at Hermione full force, knocking the wind out of her and pushing her backward._

 _She stumbled and she felt the tip of a wand press into her neck._

"Checkmate."

 _She was about to duck below his wand when Sirius's strong arm pulled her back flush against his chest. They touched and Hermione felt a jolt of magic. She froze. Sirius pulled back like he had been hit by lighting, "What the hell was that?" he whispered._

End Flashback

Professor Vector knocked on the door to the guest room even though it was ajar. "Is everything alright? I expected some questions by now?"

Hermione shook herself, that Sirius was gone. She spoke quietly, "What if I can't do it? What if I make it worse and everyone dies anyway? I've got no one-" she stopped mid-sentence, and turned her face to the window as she felt heat rising in her face and tears collecting in her eyes. She was acting like a child. She furiously wiped her tears away and turned back to her professor.

Professor Vector stood calmly in the doorway and Hermione felt as if the professor was looking into her very soul but didn't feel the prickle of legilimency. Professor Vector replied "It's been a long day and I can only imagine the shock you've had, let me run you a bath," She smiled kindly, "After that we can talk about the future."

"Alright," Hermione said with a smile on her face.

Septima walked over to the bed and had Hermione swing her legs over the edge and bent down so Hermione's arm was over her shoulder. For a second they just stood there as Hermione adjusted to standing on her feet after so many weeks in a bed. Hermione hated how weak she was. They walked agonizingly slowly to the bathroom, but Hermione was grateful because despite the pace she was exhausted by the time she reached the bath. "The bath is similar to the prefect's bath..." the professor trailed off in question.

Hermione nodded to indicate she had been a prefect and understood the various levers and knobs.

"I'll be in my office when you are finished and we can talk more then" the professor smiled kindly and turned to leave.

"Thank you Professor. For... for everything"

"Call me Septima, and there is no need for thanks, I've seen the light you will bring to this timeline and I will not be the only witch or wizard in your debt before this war is over."

With that she softly shut the door and left Hermione alone with her thoughts once again.

Hermione turned on the lavender and mint steam taps and filled the bathroom with the scent. It smelled like her mother's soap. She took off the pajamas Professor Vector- Septima- had given her, folded them and placed them next to the change of clothes on the ledge. She replayed the memory of obliviating her parent's, of carefully and systematically removing herself from their lives, sending them into hiding and having them declared dead. She supported herself on the sink and stood in front of the mirror. She was startled to see her 15 year old face looking back at her. Her scars looked even more out of place on this body than they had on her 19 year old body. She gingerly slipped into the warm water of the tub and sank below the surface of the water. Her hair flowed around her like a mermaid. Hermione's thoughts drifted aimlessly as her fingers wrinkled in the water.

She pushed herself out of the tub and grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. She had always loved the feeling of a fluffy bath towel, choosing towels over drying spells even when she had been able to do magic. Most wizards and witches saw towles as childish. Only children couldn't preform a simple drying charm. As she had no usable magic at the moment, she was glad Professo- _Septima_ had towels. Hermione dried herself off and changed into the clothes Profes- _Septima_ had laid out for her. She used the tub for support and managed to make it to the door of the bathroom before Septima appeared at her side to help her into a comfy chair in by the fireplace.

There was a comfortable silence. Eventually, without preamble, Septima conjured up a visualization her web of calculations, of possible futures. She looked at Hermione, "This is the projection without you," She wove her wand and a complicated incantation under breath, "These are the possible futures with you." The web of intertwining iridescent colored threads shifted, growing in number and brightness.

"You very well may fail. People you could've saved will die. You yourself could die. Voldemort has, and will, cause immeasurable pain and suffering no matter what you do. And for the most part you will largely fight alone."

"I have spent my whole life studying, searching for a way to make the future better by changing the past. You are the _only_ witch I have ever ran these calculations for whom it appears possible. This does not mean that you won't inadvertently harm someone'sor your own future. It means that, looking at probabilities alone, your presence here has a higher potential for light than darkness."

Septima looked at Hermione with so much compassion and hope it made Hermione uncomfortable. Harry was the special one, the chosen one, the destined one. She was just a stubborn muggleborn whitch who had helped keep him alive long enough to walk to his own death. Hermione noticed a flash of pain amid the hope in her Professor's eyes but it was gone as fast as it came. Septima continued slowly.

"Two years ago Sirius Black was admitted to the infirmary for extreme magical exhaustion that ended up being due to a second, older, magical core and soul fighting for Sirius's body. I removed the memories from the older soul, did my best to obliviate the impressions left and then Headmaster and I merged the two cores and prayed to Merlin that the boy wouldn't lose his sanity."

Hermione had a flash of devestating comprehension, "The veil..."

She broght her hand to her mouth to stifle her broken sob, "I... we thought he died."

"It's getting late and we could both use some sleep. Wibbly will bring you breakfast tomorrow morning, and then, if you are willing, the _Headmaster_ wishes to meet with you." Septima said, graciously pretending not to notice Hermione's distress.

The professor stood and helped Hermione to her room without any w. The older witch wished her a goodnight, turning off the light with a swish of her wand.

Hermione felt exposed without her wand tucked neatly under her pillow. Not that is would've been much use... but old habits die hard and she _had_ spent the past year on the run. She laid her head on the ocean-colored pillow and thought of the battle she had left behind, of the people she had left. Sleep eluded her but the guilt.. guilt for leaving, for letting Sirius die, for Harry's death... was unrelenting.


	4. Upon a Different Time

"Hermione! Wake up! Hermione!"

She sat up with a gasp. She was covered in a cold sweat and could taste the salt of tears tears on her lips. Septima's hand rested gently on her shoulder. It was still dark outside. Hermione struggled to control her breathing. It was just a dream. She was safe. Just a dream. Breathe in. Breathe out. Just a dream.

Hermione looked to her professor pleadingly, "Could I perhaps trouble you for some dreamless sleep?"

Septima looked regretful, "Hermione we have been giving you an almost constant low dose of dreamless sleep potion for the past two weeks since you began to drift in and out of consciousness. Now that you are stronger we want to begin to wean you off of it..."

This was going to be fun Hermione thought ruefully.

"The dose was only enough to take the edge off the nightmares so your withdrawal symptoms should be mild..."

Hermione ran through the symptoms of dreamless sleep withdrawal- loss of appetite, anxiety, sense of detachment, impulsive behavior, nausea... and the obvious nightmares and concurrent insomnia.

Septima cast a tempus charm, the clock read 1:22AM, "The good news though is that since the dreamless sleep has apparently been metabolized by your magic we can give you something stronger for the pain and muscle repair," the professor handed Hermione a vial of a purple potion that had the consistency of warm honey. Hermione tipped the vial back . It tasted vile but the aftertaste wasn't entirely unpleasant- vaguely like rosemary.

"You should begin to feel stronger in the next hour, if you are up for it, a walk outside may make it easier to sleep."

Hermione's mood brightened at Septima's offer, anything that prevented her from being alone with her nightmares was a _brilliant_ idea in Hermione's book. Hermione replied with a smile, "Thank you for the potion, I've missed Hogwarts and would love to see the grounds again."

Septima's answering smile gave Hermione the impression Septima understood Hermione's desire for dreamless sleep all too well.

"Wait here while I retrieve cloaks for the both of us." Septima paused and looked at the infirmary slippers Hermione had laid at the food of the bed and transfigured them into a pair of leather riding boots.

"Actually my bag is expandable, I have a cloak of my own," Hermione said nodding to the purple beaded bag she had cast an undetectable extension charm on two summers ago.

Septima inclined her head, "Very well, I will be back in a moment."

Hermione, lacking her magic, was unable to accio her cloak from the depths of her extended bag so she was still rifling around in the magically extended bag when Septima returned. Frustrated Hermione willed her magic to find the jacket and was surprised when, instead of her magic pulling her cloak to her hand, her arm was twisted back, quite painfully. After the initial shock of her body moving of it's own accord, and the pain of the unnatural angle, Hermione felt the familiar cloth of her cloak. Hermione gingerly placed the cloak around her shoulders rubbing her sore arm and noticed Septima's calculating gaze, "I thought you were unable to perform wandless magic?"

Hermione paused. There wasn't a spell that she knew off that would move the caster to the object... "That was accidental magic," Hermione stated balefully. Septima didn't seem hear her statement, "Humor me and try to cast a wandless glamour?"

Hermione highly doubted she could cast a wandless glamour but she tried anyway. Septima's lips twitched into a grin and the professor conjured a mirror and held it so Hermione could see her own reflection. Her hair was now neon blue with gold streaks.

Hermione reached out to touch her hair, "How is that possible?"

Septima was quiet for a moment, "It is just a theory but... your magic is diffuse throughout your body and it is quite possible that while you are not able to direct your magic in the same way... you could when it was centered around your core... You _may_ still be able to access your magic in the sense that whereas most witches and wizards have a body with a magical core they can project in focused projections, your body _itself_ is magical...similar to a metatphorphagus in the sense..."

Hermione realized Septima was no longer talking to her as she watched the professor walk out of the guest room, into her office, still muttering to herself. The professor ran her fingers along the spines of books in the bookshelf pulling a small notebook off the shelf, flipping through the pages, closing the book, replacing it and repeating the process with three more before she apparently found the passage she was looking for. Hermione could hear Septima scribble something onto a slip of parchment.

Septima looked vaugley apologetic, "Sorry about that, I had to cross reference a couple ideas but I think that we may want to postpone our midnight stroll while we test the nature of your magic."

Hermione had changed the color, length and shape of her hair and eyes while she listened to Septima. She changed her nose to a beak like she had seen tonks do once upon another time.

Septima smiled indulgently, "Quite impressive Hermione."

Hermione quickly returned her features to their normal appearance.

"Whereas the magic of normal witches and wizards remains within a central core unless provoked by intense emotion or directed with the focus of a wand or strong intent, a metamorphagus's magic sometimes escapes their core in bursts, like a lightening strike, and causes unusual physical changes as a means of dispelling the excess energy. As children, their appearances change in initially in response to emotions and eventually they internalize the sensation of their magic leaving their cores to effect physical changes and, much like one learns to wiggle ears, they learn to coax their magic to the surface to effect changes on their appearance at will. Most metamorphmagus are able effect simple changes such as hair color for short periods of time until the magic energy dissipates, but there are a few who are gifted with the discipline to effect more complicated and dramatic changes and hold the connection to their core."

Hermione thought of her friend Tonks with sadness before remembering, in this time, the metamorphmagus was likely still very much alive.

"Unlike a metamorphmagus where magic comes in bursts from their core your magic exists in its resting state diffuse throughout your body..."

Septima squinted at Hermione as if trying to visualize the magic running through her, "There could be any number of consequences I have not thought of but as you clearly still retain some control over your magic appears to be closer to the characteristics of a magical creature than the squib-like state of a wizard who has exhausted his magical core past the point of regeneration we origionally thought.

Hermione just stared at her professor, "What are the implications of that?"

"Aside from metamorphmagus-esque skills I imagine that you will be able to apparate through anti-apparition wards similar to the way house elves can. Normal apparition squeezes your physical body into your magical core which then can travel wherever you wish to go with far less resistance than moving your physical body. Anti-Apparition wards target the incorporation of a physical body into a magical core not the actual movement of the core through the wards."

"Wouldn't apparating my entire body require much more energy than apparating just my core with my body incorporated?"

Septima nodded her head, "Most likely you will only be able to apparate short distances."

"If I apparated farther...I would splinch myself?"

"As your magic pulled your entire body through time, which has much more resistance than physical space, I would imagine you would remain intact but it is possible you would pass out before you got to your destination from magical exhaustion or your magic would simply refuse to pull your body along any farther,"

Hermione nodded her understanding.

Septima regarded Hermione curiously, "Are you an animagus?"

"I'm not, my form was not particularly useful for disguise or travel"

"I am uncertain... but I think there is the possibility that if you were to transform into an animagus in your current state you would assume a form that closer resembles your magical signature than your human personality- your form would likely be a magical creature."

"But that's..." Hermione trailed off. She supposed pulling your body through two decades of space time wasn't 'possible' either.

Septima's lips twitched into a subtle half smile that Hermione was beginning to notice more often.

"I, myself have not completed the transformation either but I can assist you with the spells for the trances that reveal your form if you wanted to test my theory..."

Hermione's eyes lit up with anticipation and she was graced with another twitch of Septima's lips.

"Wibbly!"

A sleepy house elf popped into the room with a yawn, "What can Wibbly (yawn) do for misses (yawn) Hermione and mistress Vector?"

"Hello wibbly, sorry to wake you, but could you retrieve some mandrake leaves, lemon candles and ashwinder scales?"

The little elf disappeared with a pop. Hermione waited with anticipation for the Wibbly to return. Just as Hermione began to wonder if the little house elf had fallen asleep she popped back with the requested items, placed them on the floor by Septima's feet and disappeared with another yawn.

Septima lit the candle and heated the ashwinder scales over the fire and handed Hermione the mandrake leaves, "Put these in your mouth but don't chew or swallow them, and sit cross legged by the fireplace"

Hermione felt a little stupid but she placed the leaves on her tongue and settled into the soft carpet in front of the fireplace.

"When the ashwinder scales are thawed enough they will begin to glow and the scent of the lemon and the warmth of the scales should put you in the proper trance. Once in the trance I will cast the spell on you. Try to feel for your magic, not your persona, and hopefully your form will appear."

While they waited for the ashwinder scales to warm Septima explained that usually one had to hold mandrake leaves in their mouth for almost a month but she hoped that the nature of Hermione's magic would allow her to visualize, and eventually transform into her form, far easier than it was for most since the magic was already in every tissue. When the ashwinder scales shifted from blue-gray to orange Septima levitated them and gently placed them in a circle around Hermione. She nodded indicating it was time and Hermione closed her eyes and let her mind drift.

She could vaguely hear septima chanting an incantation but her senses were occupied with her magic running over and through her veins and... _she could almost feel it licking at her skin as it crackled like... Hermione noticed a shift as the magic that before darted through her in quick erratic movements like lightning became more steady but just as fluid and... warm... she felt the energy surrounding her like a warm blanket that lacked any disticnt form..._

"Ahhhhh!"

All the sudden Hermione's awareness was thrust back to Septima's quarters as she simultaneously realized the scream had come from her mouth and she was being assaulted by freezing cold water coming out of Septima's wand. Hermione looked askance.

"Why would you do that!" Hermione shrieked.

Septima looked at her in disbelief and said very slowly, "You were on fire."

"I was not!"

"Yes, yes you were Hermione."

"I think I would've felt if I was on fire!"

Septima repeated herself calmly as if speaking to a small child, "Hermione you were _on fire_."

Hermione, eager to learn if she had a magical form, simply glared at the witch who had just doused her with water and tried to slip back into the trance she had been in before.

It was more difficult this time, probably because she was soaking wet, she thought irritatedly, but eventually she found that same peace she had before. _She focused on the feeling of her magic in her fingers and toes and the magic flowing through her legs and abdomen and... There was magic flowing out from the base of her spine.. A Tail! She had a tail! She spun around to look at the new appendage and she noticed her elevated sense of smell! She opened her eyes ... she was some sort of fox and Oh! She_ really was _on fire! But it was a warm feeling and she didn't mind and..._

Ahrggggg!

Septima was standing above her with disbelief on her face and cold water pouring from of her wand and soaking Hermione. Hermione didn't even care this time! She was some sort of firefox! This was amazing! She wanted to transform right then and there. She had felt so comfortable as the fox. It felt... right. Like no one could ever catch her, like she was free and protected and _alive_. Hermione's mental celebration was interrupted by Septima's incredulous voice, "You were on fire. Again."

Hermione smiled at the older witch, "I know!"

Hermione knew the dangers of the animagus transformation but she was cold, stuck in a time that wasn't her own, her friends were dead, her magic had pulled her body through the very fabric of space time. She was nauseous and tired and at that moment she wanted to be the firefox again more than anything else in the world.

Septima watched with abject horror as right front of her Hermione transformed in into a fox the size of small cat with intelligent eyes the color of liquid gold. She was breathtaking. Her red and orange fur shifted colors as if it was on fire and where a fox tail should've been there was an actual, tail shaped, ball of fire. The fox chased it's tail and danced in circles, obviously pleased with itself.

There was horror in Septima's voice as she knelt down and tried to get the small creature's attention, "Hermione! You need to transform back Right. Now."

The fox looked at her quizzically.

"Hermione. You. Need. To. Transform. Back. Right. Now."

The fox frowned and suddenly Hermione was standing in front of her. Septima was furious. How could she risk abandoning them like that?! How could she risk her life, risk _everything_ so recklessly?

And then it clicked.

Withdrawal. Hermione was going through withdrawal. Nausea, anxiety, loss of appetite, detachment and _impulsiveness_.

Hermione looked at Septima with comprehension and horror at what she had just done. The child covered her mouth with her hand in disbelief at, what Septima could only assume was, her own stupidity.

Septima quickly collected herself and looked at the situation rationally. Hermione had successfully completed the transformation.

"Hermione I need you to transform back to the fox and then back to the human until I tell you to stop in order to assure that your conscious mind retains control over the transformation. The worst of the danger in transforming is that you would be permanently stuck in the fox form or lose your mind when you transformed back. You appear to have luckily escaped both those fates but you need to transform again. Now."

Hermione shifted into the fox and back into a human with such effortless speed it appeared she had been an animagus her whole life. After the tenth transformation Septima whispered, "Enough." and fell into the chair behind her and let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. She pinched the bridge of her nose as if she was in physical pain.

"I'm sorry... I don't know what I...," Hermione's voice dropped to a barely audible whisper, "I'm so sorry."

Septima sighed, "It's the withdrawal, I should've known better than to show you your form when you are..." she waved her hand to indicate all of the symptoms the girl probably understood better than she did at the moment. She cast a tempus charm, it was 5:18am. Thank Merlin today was Saturday and there would be no classes.

"I think perhaps I am more tired than I realized and we both let our curiosities get the better of us"

Hermione looked at her feet.

"We should both try and get some sleep and when you wake we will meet with the headmaster to further discuss your options."

Hermione was subdued as she walked to the guest quarters.

"Hermione?"

The girl had one hand on the door as she turned around to face the fireplace where Septima was seated. Septima was struck by the contrast of the darkness in the girl's eyes against her innocent features.

"Congratulations on your animagus transformation. It's no small accomplishment."

Hermione smiled genuinely and softly closed the door to the room leaving Septima alone with her thoughts.

The older witch conjured her glowing web of arithmancy equations and noted that three darker outcomes had disappeared. She let out another breath she didn't realize she had been holding. One disaster avoided. She laid back in her chair. She pushed the magic tendrils higher into the ceiling revealing more and more of events that had already come to pass. She pushed back to that fateful night 14 years ago, removed her own equation, and watched as the web grew and rewrote equations that previously had ended abruptly. She watched the threads of light grow and intertwined with others stretching high into the ceiling of her tower. She allowed herself a moment to grieve all of the lives that had ended because of her selfishness and youthful ignorance.

She had been 16 when she made the mistake that would haunt the rest of her life. She had been the cleverest witch of her generation, recruited by the unspeakables before she had even finished her seventh year. She had been the sole heir to the line of Rowena Ravenclaw.

She had been in love with a wizard.

He had been the most powerful wizard of an entire had been kind and cunning and loyal. He had appreciated her intellect wit where others only appreciated her blood.

He had been 17 when he stepped in front of the bullet meant for his mother shot from his own father's' gun. His father that had told he was worthless his entire life. His father that drank too much and viciously abused him and his mother his entire life. His father that didn't deserve to live.

She had been 16 when she found him dead in a pool of his own blood.

She had been distraught with grief when she broke into the unspeakable department of the ministry and stole the original time turner, it had belonged to merlin himself. It was only device in existence that the unspeakables believed had the power to change the past.

She had been shaking with rage when she spun the dial 12 years instead of 12 hours back in time.

She had been consumed with cold fury when she cast her first and last Avada Kedavra.

She had been emotionless when she spun the dial back 12 years.

She had been 16 when she entered the new world she had created.

A world where she had never been born.

She had been 16 when she realized she had created a monster. In a world where his father had been murdered when he was 4 years old. A world where he was 5 when his mother died and he was sent to the orphanage. A world where he was 7 when he hung his roommate's pet rabbit from a noose tied to the rafters. He had tortured his fellow orphans before he turned 11.

In this timeline he had been 16 when he created his first Horcrux.

In this timeline he had become the most powerful and dangerous dark wizard of all time

In this timeline she studied in secret and joined the unspeakables at 18. At 20 she was selected to be part of the first team to study time travel since the dark ages. At 23 she truly understood that she could never undo what she had done. With every day that passed her arithmancy skills improved, and with them her understanding of time travel became sharper. With every day that passed she learned new techniques to measure the consequences of her actions in lost lives, in newly widowed wives, in orphaned children, in families torn apart.

Once upon a different timeline they would've taken on the world together. History would have remembered them with the fondness and reverence reserved for the ancestors they lived their young lives in forever in the shadows of. Once upon a different time she would've lived without the weight of a thousand deaths on her soul. Once upon a different time...


	5. A Flower for the Greater Good

Septima woke at 10am in the chair in front of her fireplace, her web of mistakes hovering in front of the fire. She vanished the glowing strings and walked to the room Hermione was sleeping in. The child had transformed into the fire fox and was sleeping on her pillow with her tail tucked under her side.

Septima was surprised the little thing hadn't burned her quarters down while they slept. She hated to wake the sleeping fox but the meeting with Dumbledore was in twenty minutes and Hermione needed to eat something solid before facing the Headmaster.

Septime softly called across the room, "Hermione, it's time to wake up"

The fox perked it's ears up and in the next moment the fox was gone and Hermione was trying to hide a yawn.

Septima smiled, "Mipsy will bring you breakfast, I know you aren't hungry but you will eat something, and then we will floo to the headmasters office. Do not worry about Occluding your mind," Septima's lips twitched into a bitter smile, "I recently learned the Headmaster can not see any of your memories you do not want him to."

Hermione brushed her teeth and washed her face with cold water. Hermione had _so many_ things she wanted to tell the headmaster. So many things he hadn't told them. She wanted to scream at him for letting them believe snape was death eater the whole time. For leaving her alone in knowledge harry had to die at the hands of Lord Voldemort.

She used her magic to vanished her scars. She watched as the word mudblood vanished from her arm and the angry red scar that ran down her neck and back faded. She looked even younger without the scars.

She thought of Harry. Her first friend, her brother, her everything. She had left him to die. She had let him die at the hands of Voldemort and _it hadn't changed anything_. She had murdered her best friend.

She unvanished the word mudblood on her forearm, the silver slash along her neck, the angry red scar. Let him see them.

She putt on the riding boots Septima had transfigured for her. She threw on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt from her bag. She walked to the fireplace where the professor was reading a large leather bound book. Without looking up from her book septima asked, "Did you eat?"

"I'm really not hungry."

"Please eat something?"

"Alright," Hermione huffed.

She sat in front of the fireplace and watched the flames dance as Septima called for Mipsy who brought a tray with tea, bacon and two scones. Hermione grudgingly ate the scones and a piece of bacon. Septima closed the book she had been reading with a familiar tug at the corner of her lips and stood in front of the fire, threw in some floo powder, said, "Headmaster's Office." Hermione followed Septima through the flames.

"Ah Hermione! How good to see you up and about! Lemon drop?"

 _An image of the Headmaster's laying in a coffin as voldemort took the elder wand from his lifeless body flickered across Hermione's consciousness_

"No thank you Headmaster," Hermione sat delicately in the chair in front of the headmaster's desk. Septima took the seat beside her.

Hermione felt the familiar tingle of legilimency. She schooled her features into a mask of indifference and brought memory after memory of the of the cruciatus curse to the very front of her mind and looked directly at the headmaster. She watched his eyes widen as he stumbled back into his chair. Hermione smirked lightly. Damn him for leaving Harry, Ron and herself alone with nothing but cryptic clues, a book and a freaking snitch to defeat the most dangerous madman of the wizarding world.

Septima noticed the exchange and her furry with the headmaster was palpable but her voice was cool, "Headmaster, is there something you wished to speak with us about?"

Hermione chided herself. Her anger was misplaced. The Headmaster who sat in front of her had not done that yet.

"Hermione do you speak any other languages?"

Hermione was taken aback, what could this _possibly_ have to do with anything... "I can get by with French but I would hardly be considered fluent?"

Hermione watched the headmaster'sdamned eyes twinkle as he looked at her curiously.

"How much do you know of pureblood or muggle culture?"

Hermione did _not_ like the direction this conversation was going. She looked to Professor Vector for affirmation she should answer the question, Septima rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders in annoyed resignation towards the Headmaster's medling.

"I've spent.. a lot.. of time in the muggle world but I have a no more than cursory understanding of pureblood culture" Hermione said confused.

The old coot's smile grew at her statement. And the damned twinkle. Hermione wanted to strangle the man.

"No matter my dear, I do belive everything is going to work out splendidly."

The Headmaster and Professor discussed pleasantries leaving Hermione to contemplate the veiled bitterness in the Professor and Headmaster's voices. She wondered if Professor Vector was this annoyed by the headmaster in her timeline. She tried to remember if Professor Vector had died in her timeline, if she had made it to the last battle. Hermione couldn't remember seeing her...

Hermione was distracted from her thoughts by the Headmasters joyful exclamation, "Lily Evans! Thank you for joining us, can I interest you in a lemon drop?" Why was Lily here?

Hermione was looked in awe at the girl that stood in front of her. Her hair was the color of fire and she held herself with the confidence of a witch twice her age. The fierce passion in her eyes was tempered by her calm features and poise.

Lily graciously declined the headmasters offer and inclined her head toward Septima, "Professor," and extended her hand to Hermione with a kind smile, "Lily Evan's, it's a pleasure to meet you"

Hermione returned the older girls smile, "The pleasure is mine".

Lily's smile was slightly amused at the fact there was clearly something going on she was unaware of as she took the seat next to Hermione. Hermione was not amused. The Headmaster looked like an eight year old girl who just got a pony his eyes were sparkling so damn much. She mentally smiled at the death glare Septima was giving the headmaster.

The headmaster addressed Lily, "Ms. Evans I have a very large favor to ask of you, and it is going to require utmost discretion on your part," he said in his most grandfatherly voice.

Lily's face turned grew serious at the gravity the headmaster's words implied,

"My friend here seems to have found herself in a _timeline_ that is not her own..."

Profesor Vector looked like she might strangle the Headmaster right then. Shock coloured Lily's expression as she gasped and stared at the Headmaster with a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue.

Professor Vector quickly interjected, "I have run arithmancy calculations and her presence in our timeline will _most likely_ not cause any catastrophes,"

Lily looked at Hermione with awe in her eyes and disbelief on her face.

Septima continued glaring at the Headmaster between statements, "It is difficult to determine anything more specific than an overall positive possibility shift but there are still are dark possibilities."

"No offense or anything, but what does this have to do with me?" Lily asked

The headmaster smiled at Lily, "We were wondering if you would be amiable to watch out for Her- my friend here, help her adjust and find her way in our time? Perhaps she could stay with you over the summer holiday?"

Hermione was pretty sure that if looks could kill not even a Horcrux would save the Headmaster from Septima's death glare.

Hermione was suprised by Lily's brilliant smile, "It would be like having a real sister!" Lily exlaimed, clearly thrilled with this plan.

Hermione smiled back hesitantly, "Thank you." What game was the Headmaster playing at?

Professor Vector stared cooly at the Headmaster, "We should come up with a new name for our _friend,_ " Septima used the Headmaster's phrase with venom.

Dumbledore regarded Hermione, "Do you have a preference?"

"Umm..."

Lily looked at Hermione speculatively.

"Holly."

"Huh?" Hermione continued articulately.

"Your new name. I figure your name starts with an H and you look like kinda like a Holly... and both my sister and I are named after flowers..." Lily began confidently and trailed off sheepishly, "If you don't like it of course..."

"No," Hermione smiled, "It's perfect."

Dumbledore clapped his hands, "It's settled then!" the Headmaster's eyes twinkled, " _Holly_ will join you outside of the platform 9 ¾ at the end of term in two weeks."

"What shall I tell everyone?" Lily asked the Headmaster and Professor Vector.

 _The memory of standing behind her own parents as she obliviated herself from each and everyone of their memories flashed across Hermione's mind._

"Her Hogwarts letter got lost," the headmaster said, eyes glittering.

Professor vector rolled her eyes at the Headmaster and huffed in frustration, "Holly was homeschooled by my cousin before she got into a deadly potions accident, leaving Holly with no parents. Holly came to live with me. Lily and her were childhood friends."

"I will write to your parent's and discuss the arrangment with them, Thank you Lily for both your kindness and discretion." The headmaster nodded at Hermione/Holly and Septima, "Professor, Holly, you know where to find me."

As they stood to leave Lily surprised Hermione/Holly by encasing her in a tight hug. "I always wanted a younger sister. Tuney never liked me much but you'll meet her soon enough."

Hermione was speechless as Lily ran off to her next class. Her heart pained for Harry, if anyone had ever deserved the fierce unconditional love of Lily Evans it was him.

Septima stood, "Hermione I will meet you in my quarters later tonight to discuss your summer plans. Right now the Headmaster and I have some," there was an icy pause, " _details_ to discuss."

Hermione nodded and used the flooed back to Septima's room.

Septima's voice was terrifyingly calm, "How dare you."

The Headmaster's eyes didn't lose their twinkle, "Professor it would not do to isolate the child, this timeline is her home now and she would do well to make good friend and allies. Dark times are coming."

The fire in Septima's eyes was matched only by the ice in her voice, "How dare you manipulate the girls emotions and attachments to compel her to use her knowledge to ensure the safety of your favorite gryffindors Albus."

The headmaster's eyes darkened slightly at the accusation, "You know the danger Lily is in as a talented muggleborn. You would fault me for wanting to afford her further protection?"

Septima laughed darkly, "Oh Headmaster do not delude yourself. You are blinded by your own power. You have _no right_ to use Hermione to choose who lives and who dies. You knew I was running the calculations. You knew I was trying to figure where she would be the best prepared to face the darkness that is coming. You _knew_ , but you told Lily Potter her secret anyway. You forced my hand. Time does not play well with wizards who think themselves God."

The Headmaster was silent. Septima turned to leave, she hesitated at the door, her furry compelling her to take one more shot at the headmaster, "There will by blood on your hands Albus and it will not have been sacrificed for any good greater than your own."

She slammed the door and walked briskly to the Room of Requirement. Her ancestor was the architect of this castle. She knew these halls better than any student or headmaster. She could feel the wards and sense the magical cores of every being within the school. She avoided them all.

The stone wall reformed behind her and she slid to the floor of the empty room. She knew her anger with the headmaster was misdirection of her own anger for far larger crimes she had commited playing God. "The greater good..." Septima laughed bitterly.


	6. The Naming of Tuemessia

AN: Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed and followed this story despite my erratic (and repetitive) posting...

 ** _From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:_**

 _"In Greek Mythology the Teumessian fox, or Cadmean vixen, was a fox that was destined never to be caught._

 _It was said that it had been sent by the gods (perhaps Dionysus) to prey upon the children of Thebes as a punishment. Creon, the then Regent of Thebes, discovered an apparently perfect solution to the problem by fetching the magical dog , Laelaps, who was destined to catch everything it chased, to catch the Teumessian fox._

 _Zues , faced with an inevitable contradiction due to the paradoxical nature of their mutually excluding abilities, turned the two beasts into stone. The pair were cast into the stars and remain as Canis Major (Laelaps) and Canis Minor (Teumessian Fox)."_

The next week passed quickly. Hermione spent her days in Septima's quarters reading Arithmancy papers and her evenings discussing the intricacies of various theories with her professor. Though neither spoke of their pasts, they grew close during those two weeks. Hermione slept in her animagus form to ward off nightmares, but even then, she didn't sleep much. Most nights she wandered the hallowed halls of Hogwarts as a small, fireless, red fox.

In the shadows of the empty halls she saw visions of Molly Weasley battling Bellatrix Lestrange, she saw Greyback mutilating Lavenders dead body, she saw Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley taking down death eaters with deadly precision. She saw Neville and Ginny standing up to the Carrows. She saw Harry and Ron running through the halls to save her from a troll. She saw Draco Malfoy stalking the halls with the inquisitorial squad. She saw herself, a tiny first year, waiting outside the potions classroom, so desperate to prove she belonged in this world.

The last night before the end of the term she wandered to the one place in the castle she had studiously avoided. The place where, in another timeline, Harry's body had lain unceremoniously at Riddle's feet.

She stood in the exact spot his body had, looking into the eyes of ghosts only she could see. It was her fault that Harry had died. She had led him to his death, he had a piece of Voldemort's soul in him and she knew he had to... Dumbledore had left just enough clues...and so she let him. She had led him to his own slaughter.

Hermione's fox ears twitched toward a familiar howl in the distance. She tried to remember when James, Sirius and Peter had become animagi? She trotted over to the edge of the entrance and settled on the second step to watch the moon rise.

Eventurally the silhouettes of a stag, dog and wolf danced in the distance.

She was startled by the creaking of the large wooden doors to the great hall as a hooded figure slipped through, sat upon the first step and looked out onto the grounds. She noticed a red lock of hair slip from beneath the dark hood. Lily.

Hermione felt a surge of adrenaline, she shouldn't be here, it was incredibly dangerous... Hermione noticed Lily's eyes tracking the silhouettes in the distance with a sad smile. Lily knew.

She knew Remus was a werewolf the whole time.

Hermione padded over to where she sat shivering against the doors of the great hall. Hermione rolled onto her back and let out a playful yip to get Lily's attention.

Lily smiled at the tiny fox, "What are you doing out here?" She reached for the creature and scratched the small foxes stomach as the creature let out happy yip. She jumped when the tiny creature seemed to catch on fire. When it was clear that the creature was not in danger and not going to burn her she let out a small laugh. Hermione's ghosts were forgotten as she gracefully curled into Lily's lap and joined the older girl in watching the stag, dog, wolf and presumably a traitorous rat weave across the grounds of Hogwarts.

Hermione blinked sleep out of her eyes and froze, immediately realizing knew she was not in Septima's quarters. It smelled like strawberries and she relaxed slightly when she realized she was in laying at the foot of Lily's bed in Gryffindor Tower. She must've fallen asleep in Lily's lap and the gryffindor girl had apparently carried her back up to her dorm.

The sun was shining in the room, and Lily's dorm mates were gone, probably already at breakfast, their trunks neatly packed at the foot of their beds. Lily was going to miss breakfast if she didn't wake up soon. The small fox padded over to Lily's head and yipped in the sleeping girl's ear. Lily rolled onto her stomach and pulled a pillow over her head. The fox jumped off the bed and grabbed Lil's duvet in her teeth and pulled the duvet off the bed. Lily cried out in surprise and Hermione let out a yip of satisfaction.

Hermione mentally laughed as Lily's eyes grew wide as she turned to look at her muggle clock. She let out two happy yip's when Lily rolled her eyes at the small creature as she jumped out of bed and began throwing things into her trunk, "I suppose I should thank you for making sure I don't miss the train but I am not nearly awake enough to be anything but very annoyed with you," Lily's voice was grouchy and groggy with sleep but Hermione could tell the girl was pleased with her new fox alarm clock.

Hermione sat patiently as Lily frantically ran around her dorm throwing on clothes as she tossed things into piles and waved her wand for them to organize themselves in her trunk. Lily cast a featherlight and resizing charm on her trunk and put in the pocket of her muggle jeans. She twisted her red hair into a bun secured it with her holly wand. She opened the door to the dorm, scanned the room one last time and turned to the Firey fox, "Are you coming or not?"

Hermione let out a small yip and happily followed Lily to the common room.

Peter and Sirius were lounging on one of the couches in the otherwise empty common room. Sirius jumped up when he saw Lily jump down the last stair into the common room, "Lily! We were beginning to wonder if you slept in the library over the summer after all."

Peter let out a loud yawn and Lily glared at the aristocratic gryffindor, "What do you want Black?"

Sirius's voice was thoroughly amused, "You see Lily flower, Jamsie has a rather large boo-boo and he needs you to kiss it better."

Peter snickered. Lily kicked Sirius in the shins.

"Oi!" Sirius glared at the red-headed witch and spoke in a softer voice, "Lily I'd do it myself but I'm crap at healing charms..."

Lily noticed the half healed wounds on Sirius's left arm, remembered how the boys had spent their night and sighed, "Where is the nitwit?"

Sirius's smiled, "Hiding in our dorm,"

Lily stomped off to the boy's dorm with Sirius in tow. As Peter got up and made to follow the pair Hermione let fire dance over her fur and growled at the pudgy watery-eyed boy that had betrayed James and Lily to the Dark Lord.

Peter stared at the small fox with terror and Sirius stared at Lily with disbelief as she knelt beside the fox, "BAD Teumy! Stop it! Leave poor Peter alone!"

Hermione stopped growling and resigned herself to simply glaring at the pathetic boy. It would do this timeline no good to kill the boy now. And it would upset Lily. She let out one last hateful bark at the boy and turned to Lily, rubbing her fox head on the witch's knees as Lily cooed, "Good Teumy, be nice to my friends, they won't hurt you," she glared menacingly at Sirius and Peter, "I _promise_."

Sirius looked at Lily as if she had lost her mind, "Teumy?" he asked incredulous.

Lily picked the fox up and cradled her in her arms as if she were a house cat.

"Teumy. Short for Teumissia, as in the Teumessian fox, destined to never be caught, sent by Dionysus to prey on annoying wizards who irritate me."

Sirius ignored the whatever muggle reference the fiery redhead was trying to make, "Lily, _please_ tell me you know what that is?" Sirius continued exasperated.

"My new familiar, " Lily stated cooly.

Sirius laughed nervously and ran his hands through his jet black hair, "That, sweet Lily flower, is definitely not a familiar. That is a firefox. They are born in the flames of uncontrolled magical fire, like ashwinders..." He spoke slowly as if talking to a small child, "and they are _incredibly_ dangerous."

Lily glared at Sirius, as if daring him to _try_ and take away her new familiar, "Well then I guess you should be _especially_ nice to me so that Teumy doesn't have any reason to set you on fire," she said, happily petting Teumy's head.

Sirius held his hands up in mock surrender as Lily brushed past him on her way to the boy's dormitory. Sirius followed behind the stubborn witch shaking his head at her choice of 'familiar'. Peter decided to wait for them in the common room. Away from the firefox.

Lily pushed open the door to the boys dorm and let out a startled gasp at what she saw. James Potter sat shirtless on the edge of his bed, wincing as he tried to heal the gash that extended from the side of his face, down his neck and ended halfway down the middle of his toned back. Lily put Teumy on the floor and pulled her wand out of her bun releasing a cascade of gentle red curls.

James, noticing Lily, turned bright read and spun around to hide the gash he was trying to heal. James looked flustered as he rummaged around for a shirt, "Evans! ahh... umm.. shouldn't you be at breakfast,"

Lily smiled at James's discomfort, "What? Not happy to see me Potter?"

"No! It's just that.. that I'm... uhhhhh..."

"Bleeding?" Lily helpfully supplied.

When James didn't reply Lily sighed, "Potter I'm not going to hex you," She gave James an amused half smile, "Now turn around so I can heal you before we miss the train."

James obligingly turned around and Lily knelt on the bed behind him, laid her hand on the small of his back and began casting healing charms to mesh the ragged edges of his skin back together. She missed the knowing smirk Sirius shot James from across the room.

Teumy jumped onto the bed and began sniffing James. James turned to Lily, "Umm.. Evans? Am I about to be burned to a crisp?"

Lily paused her healing and smiled brilliantly at James, "Nope, that's Teumy, she's my new familiar and entirely harmless."

Sirius let out a dark laugh, "Riiiight. The _firefox_ is definitely harmless."

Teumy jumped into James's lap and curled into a ball, her fiery tail waving back and forth leaving glowing embers in it's wake. James looked at the witch who had the audacity to call one of the most dangerous magical animals a familiar with unbridled awe in his eyes as he awkwardly patted the firey animal's head.

Lily finished healing James's back and sighed theatrically before continuing onto his neck, "It's a shame Teumy apparently has poor taste in wizards,"

Teumy let out a happy yip as if agreeing with Lily's statement. James facetiously narrowed his eyes at the witch healing his neck, "I'll have you know, Evans, most witches would agree that I am quite a catch."

Lily smirked and slid off the bed to heal the portion of the gash on James's face. "It's fortunate then, that I am not most witches,"

James silently agreed that Lily really was far more incredible than most witches and smiled dumbly, relishing Lily's touch as she healed the last of his wound.

Lily finished with a cooling charm along the length of the scar to minimize the swelling. Sirius cast a tempus charm, 8:52.

Lily groaned, "The train leaves in 8 minutes, there is no way we are going to make it to Hogsmeade in time..."

Sirius smiled mischievously as he levitated James', Peter's and his own trunk and walked into the common room, "Not to fear Lily! Anything is possible with the Marauders!"

Lily rolled her eyes but followed Sirius, deciding she had no other choice if she wanted to make the train.

They met Peter in the common room, "We've missed breakfast," He whined.

"Quit whining Wormtail and grab your trunk- we've got 7 and a half minutes to make it to the train," Sirius said with a laugh. Pete took his trunk and followed Sirius, Lily and James out of the Common room staring in fear at the small creature at Lily's feet.

They waved goodbye to the Fat Lady and Lily asked innocently, "Are we meeting Remus on the Train?"

Sirius casually replied, "Nah his parents picked him up yesterday 'cause his mom is sick."

Lily nodded silently. She would bet her wand arm that Remus was still in the infirmary recovering from last night.

The boys stopped in front of the statue of a one-eyed witch. Lily looked at them exasperatedly, "Dare I ask?"

Sirius laughed, "You'd better not Lily flower,"

Lily poked her wand into Sirius's chest, "Call me that one. more. time. Black."

Sirius just laughed and tapped his wand on the statue as James muttered something under his breath and the statue slid to the side to reveal a small passage, barely large enough to slide through. Lily looked at the sketchy tunnel, "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

James just laughed and grabbed Lily's hand pulling her into the passage after him. Tuemy followed the two down the passage.

The three of them landed with a thud and James winced as the impact pulled at his newly healed wound. Lily looked around, they were in Honeydukes, _this_ must be how the boys smuggled in butterbeer for the post-quidditch parties. Lilly internally rolled her eyes and pulled James to his feet as Peter and Sirius tumbled down after them. While Sirius and Peter stood up she cast a tempus charm, "Three minutes and counting," she called out in a sing song voice. She scooped Teumy into her arms and followed the three marauders up the ladder to the main floor of Honeydukes and then they all sprinted out the storefront door to the train and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. Lily laughed as the wind whipped across her face and Tsuemy nipped at her feet. This was absolutely ridiculous. Tsuemy made it to the train first with Sirius close behind. James offered his hand to help Lily up as the train's engine began to rumble. Sirius waved his wand at Peter who was clearly not going to make it and levitated the boy the rest of the way, sending him flying through the entrance to the train where he landed against the door of the prefects compartment with a thud. Tsuemy yipped happily at the pudgy boys discomfort.

Peter winced and raised his hand to the back of his head, "Owwwwwww Sirius that hurt!"

Lily struggled to contain her mirth as she waved her wand healing the bruise forming on the back of the chubby boy's head.

James looked at the red-headed witch standing beside one of the most dangerous animals in the wizarding world with her windswept hair and cheeks rosy from running, "Marry me Evans?"

Lily cast a bat bogey hex on Potter waving to the marauders, "And with that I am off to find Marlene, Donna and Mary," she winked at James who was being attacked by bogers shapped like batts, "Keep dreaming Potter."

As she walked toward her friend's compartment Lily heard Sirius clap James on the back, "Well I'll be damned, Evan's might not hate you more than the giant squid after all." Lily heard peter whine, "Can we please get a compartment? My legs are tired and I don't want to miss the trolley," as she opened the door to her roommate's compartment.

Lily longed to sit with Severus and discuss potions and politics with her childhood friend but she wouldn't want to embarrass Sev in front of his death eater friends with her dirty blood she thought bitterly as she walked passed his compartment.

Lily smiled at her roommates as she took the empty seat next to Marlene, resizing her trunk as she levitated it to sit on the rack above her.

"Finally decide to shag Potter did ya?" Mary teased Lily.

Lily looked askance, "What _in Merlin's good name_ would make you think that?"

"We couldn't help but notice how late you were out last night," Marlene continued gleefully.

"And you were oh so tired this morning..." Donna added

"Not to mention you're completely out of breath, your hair's all messed up and you're practically glowing" Mary said, punctuating each detail with mirthful giggles.

Lily glared at her roommates and conjured a mirror to fix her hair. She reaallly missed Sev. Too bad he was a death-eating shitface who didn't care about anything other than kissing slytherin ass.

As Lily sat down she looked around for Tsuemy. Ahrg where had the little fox gone? She figured she would find her when she did her rounds of the train as a prefect."

"What are you looking for Lily?" Marlene asked.

"Oh nothing... I think I dropped something on my way here but I'll find it when I do my rounds."

Donna's smile grew, "You know, you didn't actually deny that you and Potter finally got together..."

"Yeah you didn't even punch me for suggesting it!" Mary laughed.

Lily reached out and punched Mary in the shoulder with a smile, "Happy?"

The four girls talked about their plans for the summer and Lily allowed herself some time to catch her breath before she did her obligatory rounds as a prefect. When Mary started gushing poetic about Sirius's abs Lily rolled her eyes, "And with that lovely change of topic I'm off to do my rounds." She opened the door to the compartment and saw Tsuemy happily waiting outside waving her firey tail back and forth. Lily cried out happily, "There you are you little rascal! I was worried I had lost you!" Lily scooped the fox into her arms and spun around to place her on her seat while she went to do rounds when all three of her roommates screamed and Donna cast an aguamenti charm soaking the fox and Lily. Tsuemy was dry before Lily could yell at Donna, "God Damn it Donna. Tsuemy is my familiar and she isn't going to hurt you!"

Mary just laughed nervously, "Only Lily Evans would think that it is okay to have a firefox as a familiar."

Marlene's eyes never left the fox, "Lily I think you ought to read a little about firefoxes before you declare one your familiar."

"Also Lily you can't just bring a firefox into the muggle world it would be a blatant violation of the statute of secrecy." Mary stated.

Holly masked her flames turning into a normal looking red fox.

Donna looked to Marlene skeptically, "Fire foxes can do that?"

"Do what?" Lily asked looking at the the fox in her arms, now just a normal looking red fox. "Oh! Cool! Look she matches my hair," Lily said twirling around.

"You know Lily, for all you tell off James and Siry for being irresponsible, right now _you_ are the one currently petting a Class III dangerous creature and calling the thing your familiar," Mary said with one eyebrow slightly raised.

"This is completely different. I _know_ Tuemy isn't going to hurt anyone," Lily laughed, totally carefree, "I mean look at this face!" Tuemy licked Lily's face for effect.

Lily decided that she'd take Tuemy on her rounds of the train since her friends were _so uncomfortable_ with her familiar. She paused at the compartment she knew was Sev's. She wished he hadn't said those terrible things. More than that, she wished he would understand that he didn't need those arseholes to rise to the top. She took a calming breath and slid the door open. "We'll be at the platform in 15, if you're going into muggle london remember to remove any wizarding robes." She didn't close the door before McNair smaked his lips, "Fucking like I'd go near that filth."

Lily took a deep breath. She should take points. Actually, she should smash his snide face in. She glared at McNair, "Have a good summer McNair. I hope you remain useful to your _master._ " Lily slammed the door to the compartment before she lost control and hexed the disgusting excuse for a wizard. She realized in that moment that a tiny tiny part of her would always hope for Sev would stand up for her just one time. Lily sighed and moved to the next compartment, firsties, "We'll be at the platform in 15, if you're going into muggle london remember to remove any wizarding robes."

Lily walked down the filthy streets of Choketown, past Spinners End where she knew Sev's house was. She doubted he would be allowed home this summer. The smog clung to the air and the flickering lamp posts bathed the street in a sickly glow. She kicked a piece of litter along the edge of the trash-filled river. She would love to see the look on James's face if he knew where she lived. Tuemy trotted along behind Lily. Lily was glad she was here. The bus ride had taken longer than she had thought it would and it would be dark soon. She didn't relish the cat calls and whistles she would get if she couldn't make it home before dark. She drew comfort from the wand tucked into her muggle jeans.

She looked up to see how far the sun had fallen and let out a muffled scream. There was a colossal skull, composed of emerald smoke, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As she watched, it rose higher and higher, blazing in a haze of greenish smoke, etched against the red orange haze of sunset. She dropped the soda she had been holding and ran to her house with every ounce of strength she had.


	7. Fire

There were tears on Lily's cheeks when she flung the door to her house open. She froze, her wand trembling in front of her. The two wizards in black robes, faces hidden by elaborate masks turned to point their wands at her.

Suddenly, the masked men were engulfed in flames. Lily snapped out of her shock and disarmed both men, their burning wands falling at her feet. She rushed to her parents. Her mother was lying in a puddle of blood and her father was seizing uncontrollably. The room was starting to fill with smoke. She waved her wand over her mother's wounds but they wouldn't close. She let out a scream of frustration. All of the sudden someone was pulling her arm. "Lily we need to leave I can't control the fire."

Lily didn't take her eyes off her mother, "I can't stop the bleeding!" she cried desperately.

"Lily we need to get her out of here!" the voice was urgent.

Lily coughed on the smoke. She looked up and the orange flames were climbing up the walls and curtains and spreading to the sofa.

The voice had levitated her mom's and fathers body's outside while Lily had been distracted by the destruction of her childhood home. "Lily! We need to leave now!" the voice was frantic. Lily allowed herself to be pulled to her feet and out the front door of her house.

The voice belonged to the girl from the headmaster's office, Holly.. her temporary little sister?How did she get here? Her face was smudged with ash and her hair was singed. This couldn't be happening.

A ball of white light in the shape of an otter burst from Holly's arm, "Find Septima and the Headmaster. Tell them the Evans's have been attacked. We will meet them at the apparition barrier. She looked to Lily, "I can't control the fire and there will be more death eaters on the way. We need to go now." Lily stared at Holly. There was no way this was happening. It must be a dream. This can't be real. Holly was shaking her shoulder, "Can you apparate?"

Lily noded her head. She had just gotten her license a month ago. Lily looked at the trail of blood, her mother's blood, leading to the flames of a fire that did not look like it was going to ever stop. "Lily! I need you to focus. Can you side along apparate?" Lily tore her eyes away from her mother and shook her head slowly. Holly grimaced, "It's okay I've got them. Go to the platform, the Headmaster will be there soon."

Lily didn't move. Her parents. Her home. This couldn't be real. "Lily! Go! Now!"

Lily gave her house and parents one last look before spinning on her heel and apparating to Hogwarts.

Holly knelt before Mrs. Evans body cursing herself. There was no way she could apparate them both. There would be more death eaters soon. She wasn't even sure she could side-along at all in her current state. If only dobby was...

"Mipsy!"

A second passed, then another, and just when Holly had decided Mipsy wasn't coming the diminutive elf popped into existence before her.

Holly could've cried with joy, "Mipsy, can you to take Mr. Evan's to ? Tell the healers they are exempt from the statue of secrecy. The male has been exposed to prolonged torture with the cruciatus curse..." Holly paused unsure if St. Mungos would treat Lily's paretns because they were muggles, "Tell the healers that Dumbledore sent them."

The elf's eyes were large as she took in the flames devouring the small home behind Holly. "Mipsy not knowing how missy Holly knows Mipsy can be transporting wizards. Mipsy is not liking missy Holly asking Mipsy to lie... but mipsy will do as missy Holly has asked. Missy Holly _will_ explain later." the elf said firmly, disappearing from the flames with Mr. and Mrs. Evans.

Holly turned to Lily's home as the flames reached higher and higher into the sky. She could hear the sirens of muggle fire engine in the distance. She watched the flames licked at the houses next to Lily's. Holly wondered if Septima's arithmancy probailites accounted for the darkness of muggle casualties.

She watched with abject horrow as the fire, her fire, consumed the house. Her _magical_ fire that the muggle fire engines would be unable to put out. How many muggles would die? How many firemen would perish trying to save those trapped by the spreading flames? Flames from the fire she had started.

Holly paused, it was her fire...She tentatively walked toward the house. The fire felt warm but she.. she _knew_ the flames weren't going to burn her. She reached out and touched the fire. She could feel the warmth dance through her fingertips. She felt her magic reach for the fire. She closed her eyes and walked into the inferno that used to be the Evan's home.

She stood in the midst of the fire growing in strength and ferocity, she let the flames wash over her skin. She felt her magic reach out and mix with the flames. She relaxed her control and let her magic flow freely amid the flames. She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated on pulling her magic, and with it, the flames back within her body. The only blood on her hands today was going to be her own. She felt an incredible rush of magic as the flames imploded with her as the epicenter and vanished, absorbed into her body.


End file.
